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Java Developer Salary in Chicago 2026

How much does a Java developer expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for Java developers in Chicago-based startups is 126k per year, with a range from 72k to 210k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Java developers in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, and startup stage.

125.8k

Average Salary

4 years

Average years of experience

Hiring data hero image

Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Java developer in Chicago is$125,819, which is 11.5% higher than the average Chicago startup salary of $112,875. Java developer salaries in Chicago are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.

Top of market

$162,183/yr

Range $120k - $210k

Average

$125,819/yr

Range $94k - $200k

Below Average

$97,933/yr

Range $72k - $133k


Industries

The highest average salary a Java developer in Chicago can get in Real Estate, that is $200,000. This pay is 33.5% higher than the average Java developer salary, which is $149,800. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Real Estate (avg $200,000 per year), Consumer (avg $200,000 per year), SaaS (avg $150,000 per year).

Tech Stack

The top-paying developer skills of 2026 are:
  • 1. Docker

    $205k

  • 2. openAI

    $200k

  • 3. Heroku

    $190k

  • 4. Python

    $175k

  • 5. PostgreSQL

    $170k

  • 6. C

    $162.5k

  • 7. Django

    $160k

  • 8. Ruby on Rails

    $157k

  • 9. Deep Learning

    $147.5k

  • 10. Prometheus

    $140k


Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary Java developer in Chicago can get with 7-10 years of experience, that is $150,000. This pay is 32.9% higher than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $112,875. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.